The puzzle of shadows

Cherry

By Rhiannonw

Thu, 05 Oct 2023
  • 676 reads
9 comments
 

Late afternoon sunshine.
Standing side by side with 4 year-old.
‘My shadow is longer than yours, isn’t it?
Is your shadow taller than you?’
She looked, pondering, trying to assess.
Then she lay down on her shadow,
and it shrunk, of course,
but her head had to stay up to look,
and so it remained seeming a bit taller,
it didn’t disappear totally under her body.
Facts and experiments tucked away in memory
for further understanding,
like my attempt at explaining what a shadow is.

Certificate U
Poem
Families
Humour
Autobiography

Comments

Submitted by Rhiannonw on

Thank you for the cherries. It was an intriguing incident, window into a child's cogitations! Rhiannon

 

Submitted by skinner_jennifer on

It's nice to read in this day and age of technology that a child would be fascinated by their shadow. The simpler things in life are always the best.

I always loved the story of Peter Pan when the girl...I can't recall her name, but she sows Peter's shadow back on.

Enjoyed your poem Rhiannon.

Jenny.

 

Submitted by Rhiannonw on

Thanks, Jenny. I suddenly realised she was trying to measure her shadow by lying on it to see ifit if it was taller than her, and of course, as she got nearer down to it, it got smaller because of the way the sun was shining on her making the shadow! Even I am slow to take it in! Rhiannon

 

Submitted by lenchenelf on

...and lovely;  children are young scientists learning to ask the right questions of the world around them :)

best

L x

 

Submitted by Rhiannonw on

Thanks! It is lovely to see their curiosity and thoughts trying to work things out, and remembering so one day things they learn at diffrerent times click together! Rhiannon

 

Submitted by Tom Brown on

I found it fascinating that my shadow was so long late afternoon and so short at midday. How do you explain that to a kid?

In the one cowboy movie Terrence Hill can draw his revolver faster than his shadow. Movie for kids, great fun! 

See you Rhiannon! Tom

 

Submitted by Rhiannonw on

Thanks, Tom. I was so intrigued and surprised to realise she was bending down to lie on it to see how 'tall' it was compared to her, and of course she didn't realise it was therefore getting shorter, and if she'd put her head down on it, the shadow would cease to be! the sun's rays falling all around her! Rhiannon

 

Submitted by marandina on

"Facts and experiments tucked away in memory
for further understanding,
like my attempt at explaining what a shadow is."

You capture the mystery and joy of explaining the world to 4-year-olds. It's what being a parent/grandparent is all about. Nicely done, Rhiannon. Paul

 

Submitted by Rhiannonw on

Thanks, Paul, It felt quite a privilege to suddenly realise what she was doing and trying to understand! Rhiannon